Lola!

I called her name, rather sternly, I thought she was chewing a stick!  Turned out to be her Kong so perfectly legal and this is her What?!  I'm innocent! face :-)))

Woke up just before 6am to the perfect morning.  Blue sky, sunshine, birds singing.  I sat for half an hour taking it all in, feeling so incredibly lucky and thankful to be here to experience these moments after all that has gone on the past 16 months.  I thought about all the lives lost to this terrible virus.  So much grief and loss.  Isn't it awful that it takes a global pandemic to make me truly thankful?  I suspect I am not alone.  Perhaps that's just human nature?  

But there are so many things I will never take for granted again, including that simple act of making lunch for a friend and enjoying chatting together in the sunshine.

I haven't seen Alison since October 2019 and we parted that afternoon with the promise we wouldn't leave it so long before getting together again.  Little did we know!

It was so hot outside we stayed in the coolness of the kitchen to eat our lunch (and to avoid wasps, although that said, there's not been too many of them about.  Hope I haven't spoken too soon!)  David was having a swim with Alan so he joined us after that and we took ourselves outside to have tea and a slice of the delicious lemon tart Alison brought.  David then headed back to the garden centre to buy more ceramic pots and compost, whilst Alison and I melted slightly but were too busy flapping our gums to care!  So much to catch up with, even though nothing much was happening during lockdown.

Luckily Alison is a dog person as Lola did her usual and insisted on being her best friend (as she does with every visitor!  lol)  Alison also got to meet Buzz (my electric chair!  lol) and was over the moon at the freedom it gives me.  Plans are now afoot to visit various galleries and museums, something that had been beyond me for so long.  

Alison left just after 5.30pm and David arrived back from the garden centre ten minutes later.  Back out to my planting station (aka the garden table covered by a throw to protect it! :-)  and I managed to get the two agapanthus, two English lavenders, lemon thyme, and a rather large begonia (a gift from Ele a few weeks ago) into their new containers.  Ok, David did the agapanthus as they were too large and the planter too heavy to me to move, but under my supervision.  I may only have half a green finger, but he definitely has none!  :-)  

David moved the pots to their new positions on the patio and I have to say I am really happy with the way it's all looking.  Just the last of the herbs to pot now and we can turn our attention to the border and two beds that we cleared out.

Ele and Kenny coming up tomorrow and staying over then the rest of the family (David's side) joining us on Saturday for a family BBQ.  Esme will be here so I have the paddling pool, giant Jenga and quoits ready to keep her amused.  I also bought a swing that I hope we are able to hang from one of the mature trees, and David has his hammock to build.  Getting into and out of that will cause some hilarity I am sure.  In fact that might just be a blip!  Watch this space!  :-)))